Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (“DOCSIS”) is an international telecommunications standard that enables implementation of high-speed data transfer over an existing cable TV (“CATV”) network. DOCSIS may be employed by cable operators to provide Internet access over their existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (“HFC”) infrastructure and may provide a variety of options available at Open Systems Interconnection (“OSI”) layers 1 and 2, i.e., the physical layer and data link layer.
DOCSIS has enabled cable operators to widely deploy high-speed data services on CATV systems. Such data services allow subscriber-side devices, such as personal computers and the like, to communicate over an ordinary CATV network. A Cable Modem Termination System (“CMTS”) connects the CATV network to a data network, such as the Internet. DOCSIS specifies that cable modems obtain upstream bandwidth according to a request/grant scheme. A cable modem sends a bandwidth allocation request to the CMTS when subscriber devices need to send traffic upstream into the cable network. The CMTS grants these requests using bandwidth allocation MAP messages. As with any system that serves consumers, optimizing speed, latency, processing time, synchronization, etc., presents a significant challenge to system designers, network architects, and engineers alike.